Case Studies

Kingston University

Kingston University is undergoing a £30 million IT infrastructure transformation to ensure that students at the University have a first class learning environment.With over 20,000 students, the University is split across four campuses in and around Kingston upon Thames. Alongside the rollout of 3,500 high speed Wifi hotspots and 2,500 new PCs, the University has installed 170 Panasonic Laser/LED projectors.

The project, won, initiated and implemented by GV Multimedia, represents the largest rollout of Panasonic projectors in Higher Education anywhere in Europe. It has seen PT-RZ370 laser/LED projectors installed in 119 lecture and seminar rooms across the University estate. Part of the SOLID SHINE range, the 3,500 ANSI lumens PT-RZ370, delivers high levels of reliability and long-lasting brightness thanks to an LED/laser-combined light source. The projector provides approximately 20,000 hours of operation, with no lamp or filter replacement needed.

"There are clearly a number of different projection technologies we could have chosen, such as lamp or laser. Because we have a lot of different rooms with different requirements I was looking for consistency, which aids our ability to provide technical support," said Simon Harrison, Acting Pro-Vice Chancellor (Operations) at Kingston University.

"GV along with a number of projector vendors, assisted us in evaluating a number of products and projection technologies leading to the choice of Panasonic and laser projection, which offers excellent value for money, fantastic images and great reliability.

"We looked at a number of factors such as brightness, image quality, supportability and value for money. Panasonic was the clear winner. Our academics love them. The projectors are fast start, so they can get the material up almost immediately. What's more, content looks great, exactly as our academics intended it to be presented. From a student point of view, they use the projectors a lot, they love the quality of the image and they can get that extra detail across, which enhances their presentations," added Simon Harrison.

"We had to deliver 170 projectors across four campuses in a very short space of time," said Kristian Cutting, Sales Director at GV Multimedia. "We had about four weeks before the start of term, so it was a very tight schedule that we managed to meet. The University has made a significant investment in improving the learning environment. What's more, the switch to laser shows a commitment to carbon reduction and to providing best value for students."

Holly Anschutz, Projector Sales Manager at Panasonic UK, said, "This is the single largest delivery of PT-RZ370 projectors within Higher Education across Europe and reinforces our position as a leading supplier of AV products to the sector."

"I'd like to thank the team at GV Multi-media, who were fundamental in making this project happen. They have been a trusted partner for both Panasonic and the University."

Phase 2 - Integration of AMX system (from HARMAN's Case Study)

With four campuses, each with its own distinct character, Kingston University boasts an impressive range of teaching and learning resources, including a blend of traditional and modern buildings which house lecture theatres, teaching rooms plus a range of flexible spaces which can be zoned for different types of learning activity. In order to ensure that it continued to fulfil its ambition of being the university of choice for students who want to thrive in an interconnected world, Kingston University knew that it needed to make the technological leap from analogue to digital and, in doing so, it knew that choosing the right technology partners would be key to its success. Close collaboration between HARMAN and GV Multimedia has enabled Kingston University to harness the power of award-winning AMX Enova technology to deliver a system designed to ease its digital transition and solve the complexity of managing its connected devices, in a reliable, consistent and scalable way. Sitting at the heart of this impressive installation, Enova DVX presentation switchers deliver a cost effective room solution which is easy to scale, configure, install and, ultimately, to use. All-in-one controllers, AV switchers, scalers, analogue to digital signal converters, twisted pair transmitters, amplifiers and professional grade audio processors, these compact 3U presentation switchers afford Kingston University the ability to control and automate any room environment.

“We are incredibly proud of this project. To have won, designed and installed this many rooms within the timeframe demonstrates not only our capacity for high quality engineering and efficient installation, but also reaffirms our position as the integrator of choice for higher education.” Kristian Cutting, Sales Director, GV Multimedia

As well as delivering an impressive array of room-level capabilities, the DVXs, with their embedded NetLinx controllers, offer many advanced networking features which allow for the central management of the entire system. Overarching Resource Management Suite (RMS) technology allows [name] and his team to monitor and maintain classrooms, lecture theatres and their associated electronic devices, across the university, by networking all of the multimedia and facility operation equipment into one time efficient and cost effective solution. Real-time monitoring and problem notifications allow audio-visual equipment to be maintained proactively, with automatic and routinechecks being made to the system’s status. This facility allows the university to ensure equipment is working correctly at all times and that system notifications are directed to the right person, at the right time. Using the full reporting capabilities of the system, staff can access instant, web-based analysis on a range of subjects, giving them an unrivalled understanding of equipment, resource and energy usage.

Thanks to the inherent scalability of the AMX platform, GV multimedia has been able to roll out and deploy no fewer than 122 rooms in anincredibly time-efficient and cost effective way by applying what is proving to be a highly successful technological formula. Rooms are classified as either lecture theatres or medium to large rooms, and given a technical specification to suit. Common to all rooms, regardless of size or function, is the unifying AMX Enova DVX and intuitive Modero S Series touch panel. The lecture theatres, which have a higher AV specification, also boast stateof-the-art HARMAN JBL 7:2 surround sound systems comprising of an ASB6112 subwoofer with CBT70J-1 line array speakers and an AC26 centre loudspeaker. The result for Kingston University is a flexible solution they can standardise on across their mixed estate, with the reassurance of knowing that it can be appropriately scaled to match the needs of each room scenario.